Recording media assigned to user

ABSTRACT

A recording device ( 1 ) for recording recording data (AD) on one of possibly several recording media ( 16, 17, 18, 19 ) is provided with receiving means ( 7 ) for receiving receive data (ED) and user identifying information (BKI), identifying a user of the recording device ( 1 ), and with processing means ( 8 ) for processing the received receive data (ED) and for outputting recording data (AD), and with recording means ( 9 ) for recording the recording data (AD) on a recording medium ( 18 ), the recorded recording data (AD) being assigned to the user identified by the received user identifying information (BKI); also at least one recording medium ( 16, 17, 18, 19 ) may be assigned to each receivable item of user identifying information (BKI) and the recording means ( 9 ) are designed to record the recording data (AD) on the recording medium ( 16, 17, 18, 19 ) identified by the received user identifying information (BKI).

The invention relates to a recording device for recording recording dataon one of possibly several recording media, having receiving means forreceiving receive data and user identifying information identifying auser of the recording device and having processing means for processingthe received receive data and for outputting the recording data andhaving recording means for recording the recording data on a recordingmedium, the recorded recording data being assigned to the useridentified by the received user identifying information.

The invention also relates to a recording method for recording recordingdata on one of possibly several recording media, wherein the followingsteps are executed:

-   -   reception of receive data and reception of user identifying        information identifying a user of the recording device and        processing of the received receive data and outputting of the        recording data and recording of the recording data on a        recording medium, the recorded recording data being assigned to        the user identified by the received user identifying        information.

Such a recording device and such a recording method are known fromdocument GB 3 346 251 A and take the form of a hard disk recorder. Theknown hard disk recorder is designed to record receive data containingtelevision programs on a recording medium consisting of a hard disk. Auser of the hard disk recorder may register as a new user of the harddisk recorder by filling in a “New User Menu”, whereupon useridentifying information is assigned to the user.

If the user wishes to record a television program on the hard disk forsubsequent playback of said television program, he/she first has toinput his/her user identifying information. The recording data recordedduring the recording of the television program are then assigned to theuser identifying information of said user when recorded on the harddisk.

If the user wishes to play back a previously recorded televisionprogram, he/she has to input his/her user identifying information,whereupon all the television programs recorded for this user on the harddisk are listed for the user in a “play list”. Once the user hasselected one of the listed television programs, the hard disk recorderbegins to play back the playback data assigned to the user on the harddisk for this selected television program.

If the user wishes to pass on one or more television programs recordedfor him/her to a friend, for example, the known hard disk recorder has acopy mode which allows the appropriate playback data for thesetelevision programs to be copied onto a portable recording medium.

In the case of the known recording device and the known recordingmethod, it has proven disadvantageous that only recording data orplayback data for one or more recorded television programs can beassigned to a user. The user does not have any possibility ofinfluencing the physical location of the recording on the recordingmedium. In this way, in addition to other disadvantages, the hard diskrecorder also requires the above-described copy mode in order to copyparticular recordings onto a particular recording medium.

The object of the invention is to provide a recording device of the typeindicated in the first paragraph and a recording method of the typeindicated in the second paragraph, in which the above-mentioneddisadvantages are avoided. To achieve the object indicated above inrelation to such a recording device, at least one recording medium maybe assigned to each receivable item of user identifying information andthe recording means are designed to record the recording data on therecording medium identified by the received user identifyinginformation.

To achieve the object indicated above in relation to such a recordingmethod, at least one recording medium is assigned to each item ofreceived user identifying information and the recording data arerecorded on the recording medium identified by the received useridentifying information.

The features according to the invention ensure that one or more physicalrecording media may be assigned to each user. As soon as the user hasidentified him/herself by input of his/her user identifying information,all the recording data to be recorded for this user are recorded on thisrecording medium assigned to the user. Such structuring is especiallyadvantageous when the recording medium is a portable recording mediumwhich may be removed from the recording device. In this case, the usermay carry with him/her all the recording data recorded for him/her byremoving his/her recording medium or media.

It is likewise possible for the user identifying information identifyingthe user to be recorded on the recording medium. By inserting such arecording medium into the recording device, the user identifieshim/herself with respect to the recording device, so that the input ofthe user identifying information by the user is advantageously dispensedwith.

According to the steps heb of claim 2, the advantage is achieved that aplurality of recording media may be introduced into the recording deviceand that the recording medium changing means position the recordingmedium identified by the input user identifying information towards therecording means before recording begins.

In this way, for example, a DVD-RW may be assigned as a recording mediumto each family member and if a family member, for example, the son ofthe family, initiates the recording of a television program using therecording device, the DVD-RW assigned to the son is automatically usedfor recording the television program. Each family member, and hence alsothe son, may remove the DVD-RW assigned to him/her from the recordingdevice at any time and thus take his/her recordings round to a friend,for example. Recordings made for the son in a recording device likewiseaccording to the invention at the son's friend's house are then likewiseautomatically recorded on the son's DVD-RW and can in turn easily betaken home.

In addition, the advantage is obtained that the father of the family,for example, may be sure, by removing the DVD-RW assigned to him, thatno television program recorded by him is accessible to the son, forexample. In this way, it is possible to dispense in simple manner withthe input of passwords and number codes for protecting recordedtelevision programs from undesired access, as is necessary with knownrecording devices.

According to the steps of claim 3, the advantage is achieved that it isnot the recording medium itself but rather a recording medium holder ofthe recording medium changing means which is assigned to useridentifying information of a user. Each recording medium inserted intothis recording medium holder is thus assigned to the user. This has theadvantage that the user can always insert a recording medium with freerecording capacity into his/her recording medium holder without havingto perform any assignment procedures. The recording device automaticallyuses the recording medium contained in the recording medium holderassigned to the user for recordings for this user.

According to the steps of claim 4, the advantage is achieved that two oreven more recording media may be assigned to the user, depending on therecording capacity required by a user.

According to the steps of claim 5, the advantage is achieved that onerecording medium may also be assigned to two or more users. Thus, forexample, one recording medium could be assigned to the children of afamily, since both may record and playback television films suitable forsimilar ages.

The invention will be further described with reference to an embodimentshown in the drawings, to which, however, the invention is notrestricted.

FIG. 1 shows a DVD recorder with a DVD changer, in which recordingmedium holders can be assigned to the users of the DVD recorder.

FIG. 1 shows a DVD recorder 1, to which an aerial 2 and a television set3 are connected. An aerial signal AS may be output by the aerial 2 to atuner 4 of the DVD recorder 1. Receive data ED from a plurality oftelevision broadcasters, such as for example CNN, are contained in theaerial signal AS and the tuner 4 is designed to select receive data EDof one of the television broadcasters, as is generally known.

A user of the DVD recorder 1 may select the desired televisionbroadcaster by means of a keypad 5 on the DVD recorder 1, whereuponselection information AI is output to controller means 6 of the DVDrecorder 1 and thence to the tuner 4. The tuner 4 and the keypad 5 formreceiving means 7 for receiving receive data ED. In addition, useridentifying information BKI, identifying the user, may be input by wayof the keypad 5; this will be described in more detail below.

Receive data ED received by the tuner 4 may be output to processingmeans 8 of the DVD recorder 1. The processing means 8 are designed toprocess the receive data ED and to output recording data AD recordableonto a recording medium in the form of a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile DiskRead Write), as known from standard DVD recorders.

Recording means 9 of the DVD recorder 1 are designed to record, via anactive connection 10, the recording data AD output thereto onto a DVD-RWapplied to the recording means 9. The recording means 9 contain buffermemory means and further known means for recording the recording data ADonto a DVD-RW, for which reason they will not be described in any moredetail.

The DVD recorder 1 contains a DVD changer 11 with a first recordingmedium holder 12, a second recording medium holder 13, a third recordingmedium holder 14 and a fourth recording medium holder 15. A first DVD-RW16, a second DVD-RW 17, a third DVD-RW 18 and a fourth DVD-RW 19 may beintroduced or inserted into the four recording medium holders 12, 13, 14and 15. Motor control information MSI may be output by the controllermeans 6, consisting of a microprocessor and an EEPROM, to a controlstage 20 of the DVD changer 11 in order to swivel each time one of therecording medium holders 12, 13, 14 or 15 through 180 degrees and toapply the DVD-RW 16, 17, 18 or 19 contained in this swiveled recordingmedium holder to the recording means 9. FIG. 1 shows the third DVD-RW 18contained in the third recording medium holder 14 as having been appliedto the recording means 9.

More details of operation and the advantages of the DVD recorder 1 areexplained more fully below with reference to an example of application.According to the example of application, it is assumed that a family(father, mother, son and daughter) have bought the DVD recorder 1 andhave already gone through the usual installation procedures. The DVDrecorder 1 then enquires which users will use the DVD recorder 1, inorder to assign to each user user identifying information BKI forsubsequently identifying the user. A first item of user identifyinginformation BKI1 is assigned to the father, which he may input byactuating the key 21. A second item of user identifying information BKI2and the key 22 are assigned to the mother, a third item of useridentifying information BKI3 and the key 23 are assigned to the son anda fourth item of user identifying information BKI4 and the key 24 areassigned to the daughter.

The controller means 6 are designed so as to assign each of these itemsof user identifying information BKI1, BKI2, BKI3 and BKI4 to at leastone recording medium holder 12, 13, 14 or 15 and thereby to at least onerecording medium, i.e. one of the DVD-RWs 16, 17, 18 or 19. To this end,the user is asked to indicate what recording capacities (one to fourtimes the recording capacity of one DVD-RW) are to be available to whichusers.

According to the present example, the DVD recorder 1 is programmed bythe family in such a way that the first recording medium holder 12 isassigned to the first item of user identifying information BKI1belonging to the father, the second and third recording medium holders13 and 14 to the second item of user identifying information BKI2belonging to the mother and the fourth recording medium holder 15 to thethird item of user identifying information BKI3 belonging to the son andthe fourth item of user identifying information BKI4 belonging to thedaughter.

Direct assignment of one or more DVD-RWs to one or more users is thusadvantageously achieved. The father may now advantageously recordtelevision programs within the bounds of the recording capacity on thefirst DVD-RW 16, the mother within the bounds of the recordingcapacities on the second DVD-RW 17 and the third DVD-RW 18 and thechildren within the bounds of the recording capacity on the fourthDVD-RW 19. Further advantages of this direct assignment are as follows.

Let it be assumed that the father regularly records the televisionprograms in the science series “Universum”. For this purpose, whenprogramming he actuates the key 21 assigned to him, in addition tomaking the usual program entries (date, broadcaster, time, . . . ), sothat the first item of user identifying information BKI1 is output bythe keypad 5 to the controller means 6. Immediately before recording ofthe television program “Universum” starts, the controller means 6 outputthe motor control information MSI to the control stage 20 in order toswivel the first recording medium holder 12, assigned to the first itemof user identifying information BKI1, through 180 degrees and apply itto the recording means 9. The television program “Universum” is thusrecorded for the father on the first DVD-RW 16 assigned to the father.

In this way, the advantage is achieved that all the father's televisionprogram recordings are recorded on the first DVD-RW 16. The father maythus remove all his recordings from the DVD recorder 1 by simplyremoving the first DVD-RW 16. He may then keep the first DVD-RW 16 in asafe place, thereby preventing access to his recordings. In addition,the father may take his first DVD-RW 16 to a friend who has an arbitrarystandard DVD recorder and there playback all his recordings or alsorecord further television programs.

A particular advantage is that the father may insert a further DVD-RWinto the first recording medium holder 12 assigned to him and effectfurther recordings on this further DVD-RW. This advantage is achieved byassigning a recording medium holder to a user and not a recordingmedium.

If, on the other hand, the daughter wishes to record a televisionprogram, she actuates the fourth key 24, whereupon the fourth item ofuser identifying information BKI4 is output to the controller means 6.The recording data of the television program that the daughter wants, asindeed the television programs that the son wants, are recorded on thefourth DVD-RW 19 contained in the fourth recording medium holder 15.

By assigning two or more users to a single recording medium holder or toa single recording medium, the advantage is achieved that these userscan share dynamically the recording capacity of one recording medium.

The recording means 9 additionally form playback means for playing backplayback data WD which have been recorded as recording data AD on theDVD-RW applied to the recording means 9. The played-back playback dataWID may be fed to the television set 3 for playback of the recordedtelevision program.

Prior to playback of a recorded television program, the respective useris required to input his/her user identifying information BKI, whereuponthe television programs recorded on his/her DVD-RW(s) are displayed tothe user for him/her to select. The DVD-RW assigned to the user is thenapplied to the recording means 9 by the DVD changer 11 and playback ofthe playback data WD of the television program selected by the user maystart.

The DVD recorder 1 is additionally so designed that, if the son actuatesthe key 23, only the television programs recorded for him on the fourthDVD-RW 19 and not the television programs recorded for the daughter onthe fourth DVD-RW 19 are displayed. The fourth DVD-RW 19 assigned toboth the daughter and the son is, therefore, advantageously subdividedby the controller means 6 into two logical units. In this way, asubstantially larger number of users may be assigned to a relativelysmall number of recording media. In each of these cases, however, usersare assigned unambiguously to a particular recording medium, therebyachieving the above-described advantages.

According to a second embodiment, not illustrated in FIG. 1, directassignment of an item of user identifying information BKI to a recordingmedium may also be effected by a recording device according to theinvention. In this case, when the user identifying information BKI isassigned to the recording medium during the installation procedure, anitem of user identifying information BKI input by the user may be outputby the controller means to the recording means and recorded thereby onthe recording medium to be assigned.

In an inventory procedure, this recording device according to the secondembodiment may swivel all the recording medium holders towards theplayback means in succession and read out the user identifyinginformation BKI of the recording media contained in the recording mediumholders and store it in the controller means. In this way, the recordingmedium to be used for each user is identified and may be used forsubsequent recording and playback procedures.

If the user identifying information takes the form of a character codeto be input with the keypad of the recording device, the assignmentaccording to the invention of the recording medium to the user iseffected for every recording device, not just the user's own. In thiscase, the father could take his recording medium round to a friend andinsert it into the friend's recording device according to the invention.This recording device would then perform the inventory procedure and,once the father had input the character code constituting his useridentifying information BKI, the friend's recording device would alsorecord onto and playback from the father's recording medium.

It may be mentioned that a plurality of different, optionally portablerecording media which could be used in a recording device according tothe invention are known to the person skilled in the art. For example,the recording media could be the following: SACD (Super Audio CompactDisk), CD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, VCD (Video-CD), DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, harddisk, Linear Tape Open magnetic tape.

It may be mentioned that a plurality of different recording mediumchanger means are known and that the invention is in no way limited tothe design according to FIG. 1.

1. A recording device (1) for recording recording data (AD) on one ofpossibly several recording media (16, 17, 18, 19), having receivingmeans (7) for receiving receive data (ED) and user identifyinginformation SKI) identifying a user of the recording device (1) andhaving processing means (8) for processing the received receive data(ED) and outputting the recording data (AD), and having recording means(9) for recording the recording data (AD) on a recording medium (16, 17,18, 19), the recorded recording data (AD) being assigned to the useridentified by the received user identifying information (BKI),characterized in that at least one recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) maybe assigned to each receivable item of user identifying information (BK)and in that the recording means (9) are designed to record the recordingdata (AD) on the recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) identified by thereceived user identifying information (BKI).
 2. A recording device (1)as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that recording medium changingmeans (11) are provided with at least two recording medium holders (12,13, 14, 15), into each of said recording medium holders (12, 13, 14, 15)there may be introduced a recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) identifiedby user identifying information (BKI), the recording medium changingmeans (11) being designed to change the position of the recording mediumholder (12, 13, 14, 15) of the recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19)identified by the received user identifying information (BKI) in orderto allow recording of the recording data (AD) on this recording medium(16, 17, 18, 19).
 3. A recording device (1) as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that recording medium changing means (11) are providedwith at least two recording medium holders (12, 13, 14, 15) into each ofsaid recording medium holders (12, 13, 14, 15), each identifiable byuser identifying information (BKI), a recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19)may be introduced, the recording medium changing means (11) beingdesigned to change the position of the recording medium holder (16, 17,18, 19) identified by the received user identifying information (SKI) inorder to allow recording of the recording data (AD) on the recordingmedium (16, 17, 18, 19) accommodated in this recording medium holder(12, 13, 14, 15).
 4. A recording device (1) as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that two or more recording media (16, 17, 18, 19) maybe assigned to each receivable item of user identifying information(BKI).
 5. A recording device (1) as claimed in claim 1I characterized inthat one recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) may also be assigned to twoor more items of user identifying information (SKI).
 6. A recordingdevice (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the playbackmeans (9) are designed to play back playback data (WD) from a recordingmedium (16, 17, 18, 19) identified by the received user identifyinginformation (BKI).
 7. A recording device (1) as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) is opticallyreadable.
 8. A recording device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterizedin that the recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) takes the form of aDVD-RW.
 9. A recording method for recording recording data (AD) on oneof possibly several recording media (16, 17, 18, 19), wherein thefollowing steps are executed: reception of receive data (ED) andreception of user identifying information (BKI) identifying a user of arecording device (1) executing the recording method and processing ofthe received receive data (ED) and outputting of the recording data (AD)and recording of the recording data (AD) on a recording medium (16, 17,18, 19), the recorded recording data (AD) being assigned to the useridentified by the received user identifying information (YKI),characterized in that at least one recording medium (16, 17, 18, 19) isassigned to each item of received user identifying information (BKI) andin that the recording data (AD) are recorded on the recording medium(16, 17, 18, 19) identified by the received user identifying information(BKI).
 10. A recording method as claimed in claim 9, characterized inthat, prior to recording the recording data (AD), the recording medium(16, 17, 18, 19) identified by the received user identifying information(SKI) is selected from at least two recording media (16, 17, 18, 19) andpositioned for recording.